Studies of clinical symptomatology in young healthy male alcoholics demonstrated a lack of the association between depression and alcoholism which has previously been reported. The alcoholic group was also found to have no more aggressive behavior than age-matched normal controls while having a higher aggressive attitude. Biochemical studies on platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) found lower MAO activity in alcoholics. Disulfiram which is used as a regular part of alcoholism treatment programs was found to cause an increase in both serum cholesterol and plasma norepinephrine (NE) with an associated increase in blood pressures, raising the possibility that long-term disulfiram use might increase the risk of hypertension and/or cardiovascular disease. Disulfiram also precipitated psychosis in 8 individuals who were noted to have lower platelet and plasma MAO with higher red cells catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) and lower cerebrospinal (CSF) dopamine-Beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity prior to taking disulfiram. Autopsy brain samples from alcoholics have higher GABA receptor activity and lower Beta-adrenergic receptor activity than control brains.